The Meaning of Death
by Litchi Akatsuki
Summary: Sequel to Seven Days! Kanda and Allen have grown up-what will become of their futures? AU; Yullen!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray Man in any way. I write, therefore I exist. :P

This fic is for all those who wanted a sequel to Seven Days. And many thanks to darkbrokenreaper for all the help! I am very grateful. *bows*

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Chapter 1: The Meaning of Death

An explosion lit up the night sky. Wails of sirens filled the air as men clad in suits struggled to restore the order and calm the raging inferno.

***

Allen intently watched the screen of the mysterious box they called "television". His eyes were wide with curiosity as he watched the people inside move around and speak and sing.

Then Tiedoll walked into the room, holding the morning newspaper. Carefully placing it on the dining table, he walked over to where the white-haired boy sat and turned off the television. Allen looked up, the wide silver eyes full of confusion at why the screen suddenly turned black.

"Ah, it's time for breakfast." Tiedoll chuckled.

Allen looked back at the television set.

"You could continue after breakfast, okay? Lavi and Bookman are joining us today." The old man ushered the little boy to the giant table, silverware already set out. The aroma of freshly baked croissants, hot oatmeal, scones, muffins, and eggs wafted up from where they were set along the middle of the table.

Allen ran up to the table, stomach letting out a loud growl, and took a seat beside Kanda, who, in turn, was glaring at everything and everybody.

"Good Morning, Kanda onii-chan!" chirped Allen as he took 20 scones, 15 blueberry muffins, 35 croissants, a cup of milk, and an oversized bowl of oatmeal.

"Che"

Just then, a cheerful redhead approached the table. "Good Morning, Yu-chan!~"

…And then a menacing aura surrounded the table.

"Be thankful that I'm not allowed to bring Mugen down to the table, baka usagi."

_Bang_

A well-aimed kick to the head made Lavi fly across the room and land on his seat.

"Please ignore my idiot grandson, Tiedoll." Bookman stated.

"It's okay to have such spirited youngsters these days…" replied Tiedoll, chuckling as he motioned for Bookman to have a seat as well.

"Ah, I see that you have already received news about the fire." Bookman noted, glancing at the newspaper.

Lavi grabbed the paper. "35 Dead in Explosion" he read.

"Among the dead are……..."he continued, murmuring the names to himself.

Allen was stuffing the muffins into his mouth as he listened to Lavi list off the names. However, his eyes grew wide at the mention of one name. His shaking hands placed the muffins back on the plate and he swallowed whatever was in his mouth. "Lavi…could you please repeat that?"

"The name? Sure: Mana Walker."

"Mana…" repeated Allen in a hushed voice. By now, the table had gone silent, for tears had started leaking out of the corners of the white-haired boy's eyes.

"Allen-kun, did you know Mana Walker?" inquired Bookman.

"Yes…He was…my father."

At this confession, Allen promptly ran upstairs back into his room, crying. The table was silent and continued to be silent, nobody knowing what to say or do. At last, after glaring even more intensely at Lavi, Kanda left the table and walked upstairs.

***

Kanda stiffly stood in front of the door that led to the room Allen was in. Unanswered questions swam through his mind as he slowly pushed opened the dark brown oak door.

"Moyashi?"

A tiny sniff was heard from a lump in the middle of the bed on the far side of the room.

"Moyashi…"

The Asian boy strode over to the bed and stood beside it, staring intently at the bump.

"Kanda onii-chan…is that you?"

"Che."

"Kanda onii-chan, my heart hurts. Why does it hurt?"

"Cuz you're sad."

"Is it because Mana died?"

The sniffles stopped momentarily, and then started again a few seconds later.

"Most likely."

"What do I do now, Kanda onii-chan? I don't know what to do anymore…" The voice faded away and the trembling lump on the bed started shaking with sobs.

Kanda though back to when his own family was murdered, the day they left him behind alone in this harsh world. He wasn't going to let his precious Allen become the ghost that he became. He wasn't going to let him get eaten away by the sorrow that had started to consume his heart.

"What would Mana have told you to do?" Lame, but it was the best he could come up with. He had heard this phrase many times before, so it should cheer Allen up a bit. All the other kids cheered up, so why wouldn't he?

A pause. "Keep walking forward…"

"Then do just that."

"But-"

Kanda smirked at the pair of silver eyes that peeked out from beneath the white sheets. "That Mana person surely wouldn't want to see you like this, would he?"

Allen disappeared under the covers once more, unsure of what to say.

As he thought of Mana's death, a question appeared in his mind, his curiosity refusing to let it go.

"Kanda onii-chan?"

"What?" replied Kanda, somewhat irritated by the endless flood of questions. He was going to run out of good answers soon.

"What is the meaning of death? Why do people have to die? Why?"

Kanda's glare softened as he pondered over the question. "I…don't know…" he said, after minutes of careful deliberation.

Nothing else was said, and silence hung in the room. Kanda then decided to leave, wondering if he should train with Mugen today.

He also wondered if Allen was going to be okay…

***

The tall readheaded man looked up at the large mansion, now a black sillohuette against the purple sky. He blew out a puff of smoke as he pondered the mysterious last requests of the one known as Mana Walker.

***

Allen peered out from under the cozy sheets once again and noticed a figure overshadowing his bed.

Eyes puffy from the tears, he wondered if he was seeing things.

"…Kanda onii-chan?" he cautiously asked. No, that can't be true; Kanda had left a long time ago.

So who was it?

The scent of cigarette smoke filled his nostrils, robbing him of the fresh air left in the room.

"Stupid brat…are you Allen Walker?" the figure quietly asked, cursing under his breath.

"…yes…"

"That guy…I can't believe he wanted me to take up a brat as an apprentice." he complained to no one in particular.

Allen continued staring at the figure, and wrinkled his nose at the smell of the cigarette smoke that slowly filled the room.

"Idiot apprentice, get off your but."

"Why?"

"'Cause you're my apprentice now, that's why. All because of Mana…the Fourteenth. It's his will that you carry on his legacy."

"The…Fourteenth? Mana?" Allen was confused; nothing made sense.

"Arrgh…he didn't tell you?" groaned the figure, rubbing his temples, "That guy…anyways, you'll be training under me from now on. I will be your teacher. Clear enough for you? Seriously, dragging an innocent wimpy punk into all of this…how can he ever expect this brat to be an assassin?"

Allen furrowed his brows as he tried to process all of the information.

"An…assassin?"

"Yeah, now hurry up and get moving or else I'll throw you out of this room by force."

_Throw? This is the _second _floor for heaven's sake! This must be what they call an insane person…_

"If you train me, would I get to know the meaning of death?"

The figure blinked in surprise at the sudden question. The wide eyes then eventually narrowed and the slightly opened mouth turned into a smirk.

"You will get to know Death itself…brat."

And with that, black engulfed Allen and he felt himself getting carried away, alongside the mysterious figure. _Don't worry, Kanda onii-chan…I'm going to be strong enough to protect you…and I am going to find the meaning of death…_

Kanda ran into the room upon hearing the window break, only to find shattered glass on the floor, sheets strewn across the bed, and a cold wind removing the last traces of tobacco smoke that were left in the room. However, there was nobody there.

Looking around, he saw a note on the desk.

_Kanda onii-chan,_

_I'm so sorry for leaving like this. Please do not worry, for I will surely become strong enough to defend you one day. I am going to go train somewhere…where, I do not know. But Mana was the one who wanted Cross to train me, so I am going to go with him. I will find out the meaning of death. _

_I love you, Kanda onii-chan._

_Goodbye,_

_Allen_

"Allen…"

***

* * *

Nyaaaahk…Chapter 1 ish done!!! Hope you liked it…school and upcoming tests and due dates have completely altered my sleep patterns….i think I have become nocturnal. :P

Please review…okay? Please? With a cherry on top? And tons of chocolate fudge and rainbow sprinkles and gummy bears and…well…you get the point… - -;

Updates will be slower than usual now…because of a mixed number of factors. Sorry!

well...then again...i am a huge procrastinator...so i guess i'm always slow. :P

Ja-ne~

Akari~


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-Man. You knew I was going to say that, weren't you? :P

Yeah, I know. I'm procrasinating. It's my nature; it's what i do best. lol.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Future

"W-w-who are you?" A shaking hand was held in front of the face as the fat man scrambled backwards away from the figure cloaked in white. "Please don't kill me- I'll give you anything you want- money, fame, fortune, women, anything! Oh, just please don't kill me…I don't want to die yet…please…"

"Good-bye" was the simple reply as long black claws severed the head. "May your soul rest in peace."

Then the white figure flew out the window, swiftly avoiding the police, eventually disappearing into the night.

***

"Ne, Yu-chan!~"

"Call me by my given name and I will slice you up into unidentifiable pieces, baka usagi"

"Ah, haven't changed much, I see. I can see the reasoning behind you being number one in school and the subject of all those hot girls, but becoming a police officer? You really surprised me, Yu."

"Che. I can do whatever the hell I want to do with my life."

"Aww, Yu, do you always have to be so stingy?"

"Get to the point already."

"Okay, okay, it's about an assassin." Lavi waved his hands in defeat, handing over a manila folder. "The killings have started quite recently, but he's already proving himself to be one heck of a killer. He goes by the name Crown Clown."

Kanda lazily flipped through the file, pausing only briefly to glance at the figure draped in a white cowl and a mask over his face, as if he was going to a masquerade ball. What caught his eye was not the name itself, but the white hair that stood out in spikes that could be seen against the night sky.

_Allen…_

He didn't know why Allen's name came up in his mind, but the figure had a striking resemblance to the sweet, eight year old boy that he knew. _No, that _can't _be Allen…no way…_

Lavi beamed down from where he was standing. "So, are ya gonna take the case?"

"Che."

"I take that as a yes. Good luck!~"

Lavi's smile disappeared as soon as he left the office. Kanda was going to have a lot of surprises in for him, and he was going to need all the luck he could get.

***

Death itself is strange; it's present and yet it's not. The meaning of death, one knows not of, for the meaning varies along with the soul.

"Cross, where are you?" sighed Allen, looking around at the empty apartment. And, just like usual, there was a big stack of debts neatly piled on the table. Debts…even the thought of it was depressing.

He would have to go gambling again…and maybe take on a few more jobs.

The dark blue skies outside constantly reminded him of his precious brother, Kanda, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. Years had passed; yet he was not allowed to see him again.

Allen knew he was strong enough to protect Kanda now, since it was always Kanda who protected him. He wondered where Kanda was in the world…and if he remembered him…

Putting all depressing thoughts aside, he put on a suit and headed off to the casino to play poker.

***

The night was cold, and Kanda hurried down the street back to the mansion. He felt like returning to Allen's room again. Although the old man was still there, it was worth the risk. After all, he couldn't be worse than the baka usagi, could he?

Bzzzzt, wrong. He was one of the people he wanted to murder the most.

Upon opening the door, he was greeted by a giant bouquet of flowers.

Behind the flowers, the old man.

"Yu-kun!~ Lavi-kun told me you were coming home early today!~ Welcome home, Yu-kun!~"

"Shut it, old man." grumbled Kanda as he stomped inside and headed towards his room.

"Now, now, Yu-kun. Be nicer, okay?"

"Che."

A few minutes later, Kanda stomped by in the opposite direction with a thicker coat, past Tiedoll and out the door, slamming it on his way out.

Where to now? He consulted the manila file given to him an hour ago. In his neat handwriting, Lavi had written: Noah's Ark Casino

Cursing under his breath, he grudgingly headed towards the casino. He was going to kill the redhead later, for making him go to such a shady place.

What's more, that was the mafia's base.

Walking into the enemy's house is quite unpleasant.

***

Allen headed to the back of the casino, keeping his hood up. Upon reaching a door, he whispered something to the guards and was promptly led in. As they headed away from the poker tables and towards the VIP elevator instead, he did his best to keep his cool. He didn't really like the Earl, and the Earl's daughter Rhode was just plain scary. And Tyki seemed like a pedophile. No, wait, Sheryl seemed to be more of a pedophile than Tyki. In short, the Noah family was just creepy, but they were the only ones who would offer him a job.

A bell signaled that they were at the top of the hotel/casino, and the doors opened to reveal an elegant hallway lined with portraits of the past Noah, with a fancy double-door at the end of the hallway. Slowly pushing open the doors, he was instantly swept into a room dimly lighted by candles.

"Allen!~" squealed Rhode as she glomped him from the darkness, landing a light kiss on the cheek before Tyki stepped in.

"Rhode, how many times do I have to tell you- manners!" he reprimanded.

"Aww, Tyki. You're no fun at all." pouted the Lolita girl.

"Children, please do not squabble. Allen, I presume that you have finished your task?"

"Yes, Earl." replied Allen, bowing gracefully.

"Very well. I have another job for you to accomplish. Please assassinate the Police Chief~"

"Yes, Earl." Allen said again, backing out of the room. This was probably the third time he had been told to assassinate the Chief of Police. The Earl must hate the police very much. But it can't be helped; he needed the money to pay off Cross' debts. Where is Cross? That will remain a mystery.

Adjusting his jacket, Allen went back to the elevator and began preparing for his next job. He won't fail. He hasn't failed before…

yet.

* * *

So….that's chapter 2.

Akari's SC: Yes, it's true. Allen works for the Earl and he is about to unknowingly kill his beloved Kanda. Can things get any worse?

Akari: NOOOOOO!!!! ALLEN MUST NEVER KILL KANDA!!!! WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY STORY???

Akari's SC: Ah, nothing much. Just a little plot twist and some suspense.

Akari: Your writing is horrible.

Akari's SC: kill…

Akari: *Runs away*

Akari's SC: Enjoy… and please review!

Ja-ne!~

-Akari~


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: You know that I know that you know that I obviously know that you obviously know that of course I know that I DO NOT OWN D. GRAY-MAN.

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Chapter 3: Mission

A white figure elegantly jumped across rooftops until it paused in front of a certain window in the front of a brick building. Although the view inside was obscured by heavy black curtains, he knew that it was safe to go in. A lockpick proved useful in quietly opening the window.

Allen soundlessly slipped into the bare office, landing with a small tap onto the carpeted floor. Looking around, he sought for discreet places in which he would be able to hide a miniature bomb in; there was no better time to test out a new device. However, instead of doing so, he spotted a folder on top of the spotless desk. It seemed as if it had been carelessly tossed there and forgotten. The unwrinkled papers had spilled out, and so did the corner of an old photograph.

Pulling the page out, Allen was able to see the document better; it was a missing person's report…but he still couldn't believe what he saw. Although the room was too dark to make out any words clearly, the photo appeared as plain as day. Perhaps it was because of the silver hair and eyes the missing person had.

_Me?_

There was no doubt left in Allen's mind; it was him. The 10-year old boy even had a pentacle on his forehead. He pulled back his mask to get a better look at the tiny photograph; it was a big mistake.

Just then, the door creaked open and a black-haired figure stepped in, silhouetted against the outside light pouring into the office.

"Ah!" gasped Allen, startled by the sudden appearance. _I've been discovered!_ he frantically thought, _I have to get out of here-fast!_

"Crown Clown!" shouted Kanda as he realized just who the intruder is. Drawing Mugen out of it's sheathe, he lunged, only to have his katana stopped by long black claws. Looking up into the face of the infamous Crown Clown, however, made him step back, for right before him was the assassin who bore the face of the one who he had so deeply loved when he was still a young child.

Using the hesitation to his advantage, Allen jumped back out the open window and disappeared into the night, his white cloak tightly wrapped around him and the mask back over his face.

_clank_

Mugen was dropped, and the hand that wielded it hung limply by the owner's side.

"Allen?"

* * *

Akari's SC: Yes, yes, yes, I know that this is probably the shortest chapter ever. But it contained enough surprise, no?

Akari: ugh…never let me hear you say "know" ever again!

Akari's SC: Eh??? What about "I" and "you"?

Akari: If I said "no" to that, we'd all be talking weird. And I'll be breaking my own rule.

Akari's SC: Rules? RULES ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN!!! I LOVE KENPACHI FRIED CHICKEN!!! YULLEN IS THE BEST!!! YOU CAN'T SPELL SLAUGHTER WITHOUT LAUGHTER!!! CAKE IS YUMMY!!! *evil laughter is heard*

Akari: oops…too much ice cream…*sweatdrop*

Ja-ne!~

-Akari~


	4. Chapter 4

Akari's SC: the epicness of the plot continues!!! IT LIVES!!! -insert evil laughter-

Akari: eh? it lives? what lives? OMG!!! THE COMPUTER'S ALIVE!!! IT'S GONNA EAT ME!!!

Akari's SC: -sweatdrop- must've been the horror movie she watched last night…

Akari: THE MIRROR!!! IT'S EVIL!!! AND THE CLOSET TOO!!! NOOOOOO!!!--

Akari's SC: …you get the idea. it's understandable that this is the first actual horror movie she's ever watched, cuz Cloverfield just didn't count. but still…-cringe- this is a bit… yeah… o-kay…on with the story?

* * *

Chapter 4: A New Act

Tyki stormed into the apartment where he found Allen, sitting ontop of his bed, staring aimlessly out the window at the full moon. "Boy, what exactly have you been doing?"

Allen suddenly turned around, as if he hadn't noticed that Tyki had already come in. "Ah…I'm sorry. I'm just looking at the moon, that's all. It's really bright tonight."

Tyki sighed and put his hat down on the table. "The Earl is mad at you; not only did you not complete the assignment, you didn't even report anything to him. He's going to give you one last chance; you have to finish the job within a week's time or else he's gonna send somebody after you. Got it?" Allen still continued staring out the window. It was becoming obvious that something was actually bothering the boy.

"I've been labeled as a missing person, Tyki" sighed Allen.

"Oh? But weren't you expecting that when you ran away?" asked Tyki, wondering when the heck the assassin had started to think like that.

"I think I miss my family." sighed Allen.

"You're doing a lot of sighing. Perhaps you should get some rest and start tomorrow? I'm going to leave the food on the table. Well then, see ya later, shounen, and we might be able to play a game of poker when you finish your job. Until then…"

And then Tyki vanished into the shadows, the door silently closing behind him.

Allen sighed again, and then lay down on the bed, staring up at the empty ceiling.

"And I miss you too, Kanda onii-san…"

***

"Ne, what's up, Yuu? I've never seen you this gloomy before…" Lavi scrutinized the sight before him, an angry police chief, with bedhair, and dark circles framing his eyes with an even creepier scowl than before, slumping over documents that were carelessly piled upon his desk. And he was actually signing them. Without cutting them up every now in them or tossing them in the shredder or complaining about every bit of unnecessary noise he heard (which is why their division is said to be the best in the country). Then Lavi's eyes lit up.

"Oh…I get it…it's a woman, isn't it? Hmm? Ah…young love…" grinned Lavi, leaning over the desk.

"Get… away… from… me… and… shut… up… before… I… mutilate… you… and… hang… your… remains… from… the… flagpole." growled Kanda through gritted teeth, eyes shut and twitching with a vein popping in his forehead.

Lavi did what he could only do in this kind of situation.

He ran.

Screaming.

And laughing.

One would wonder why someone hadn't put him in a jumpsuit and locked him in the asylum yet.

***

Allen looked over his collection of knives, daggers, guns, and various poisons and explosives laid out on the wooden table. _The Earl must really want this guy dead to give me this many weapons…_ he thought.

Little did he know why.

***

A large fat man with a tall top hat decorated in ribbons and bows sat at the head of the elegant dining table, chewing on a piece of steak. Five figures sat next to him, shrouded in darkness and dressed in formal attire.

"Ne, is there a reason why you assigned Allen this particular mission? It's too risky if he finds out the identity of his victim."

"Of course there is, my dear Tyki-pon -heart-. Don't worry so much -heart-"

"Ehhh??? Allen's still on the mission? When can I get to play with him? Can I play with him after he's done? Please?~"

"That depends on what he does -heart-. The play has started…let us get ready for our appearances, shall we? -heart-"

A chuckle. "You can be so heartless sometimes…Earl."

***

It was night again, and a perfect one at that for there was no moon to see by. That meant a higher chance of accomplishing the mission…and a better chance of him being able to mask his identity. Allen pulled out a few throwing knives and took aim at the uncovered window.

Mission…begin.

***

Kanda looked up just in time to see some very sharp black knives flying right at him, shattering the glass window to pieces. He quickly unsheathed Mugen, his katana-like sword, and knocked all five out of the air before they could pierce him. Then he brought his blade back up to shield himself from another blade, this time wielded by a figure clothed in a white cowl, face covered with a jester's mask. Gleaming silver hair shone in the dim light of the office as the figure pressed on, determined on killing the police chief--Kanda Yuu.

However, the attack was cut short when the figure gave a small gasp and stepped back. "Kanda onii-chan?"

Kanda lowered his sword, eyes wide with surprise. "Moyashi?"

Allen detached his mask, tears leaking out of the corner of his eyes. "Kanda onii-chan!!! I'm so sorry!!!" he cried, launching himself at the figure in front of him, hugging him tightly.

"M-Moyashi…You're Crown Clown?" Kanda whispered, hugging Allen back.

"It's Allen!" stated the silver-haired teen, a cute pout on his face. "And…yes, I am Crown Clown…"

"Why? Why are you an assassin? A murderer? Don't you know that you are killing innocent people? Who are you even working for?" Kanda broke out of the hug, grabbed the stunned Allen by the shoulders, and shook him hard.

"Kanda onii-chan…are you angry? Is the Earl bad? Is killing people to protect other people bad too?"

The asian man looked down at his dear little brother, at the face which he thought he would never see again. _What happened to him? What caused him to be an assassin?_

"Kanda onii-chan…" Allen guiltily looked down at the floor. "But the Earl said that I was to kill in order to protect you…"

"Allen, the only person the Earl is trying to protect is himself and his family and the rest of the underground society! What are you thinking?" Kanda was furious; the Earl was going to pay dearly for the way he had played with Allen's innocent mind.

"Ouch…that hurts…"

Kanda looked down and realized that he had tightened his grip on Allen. He loosened his tight hold and brought Allen back into an embrace. "Baka Moyashi…" _I'm sorry…_

***

"That…little…cheater!!!--" The Earl stood up from his seat, radiating large amounts of anger, tearing his handkerchief to pieces. Lulubell stood calmly beside him while Tyki, Road, and JasDevi had retreated to the other side of the room. "I can't believe he betrayed me like that! He was my best pawn too… Now I'll have to kill him! That traitor!"

_This…is not good…_thought Tyki, for he had grown somewhat attached to Allen over the past few years he had spent training him. He subtlety left the room, intending to warn the doomed teen before the Earl could get to him.

Road noticed him leave, and decided to let him go. _This is going to be fun…_ Then on a second thought, she followed him out of the room. It was not going to be fun if Tyki kept Allen to himself…

***

"Allen!!! You're back!!! I've missed you so much!!!" cried a tearful Tiedoll as he nearly squeezed Allen in a tight hug, sobbing uncontrollably.

The rest of the gang looked on, waiting for Tiedoll to actually let Allen go. Eventually, though, he did, but not before the shirt was entirely soaked.

"F-father…please calm down…" pleaded Noise Marie, for the crying was painful to his overly sensitive ears. Kanda just sighed and left the room. Allen noticed this and followed after, leaving Tiedoll sobbing and unaware of the missing people.

"Kanda…"

"I'm not going to tell Tiedoll or the rest of the family, if that's what you want."

"Thank you…" Allen's voice broke off as he stopped in the middle of the hallway. Then, managing to smile again, he looked up innocently and asked, "I'm lost. Can you take me to my room? Please? Kanda onii-chan~"

"Che."

***

* * *

Akari: -Still huddled in corner-

Akari's SC: Okay, so that's the end of Allen's life as an assassin…I hope...Hmmm….maybe there will be a little…VERY little Tyki/Allen, but there will be lots more Yullen to come!~ And just to clear things up, 'cuz he knows that Allen's innocent and that he wuz manipulated by the bit fat mean Earl, he's gonna blame the Earl and not Allen cuz he also loves Allen. and nobody else knows. lolz. Well then…PLEASE REVIEW!!! I'M BEGGING YOU!!! -in tears-

Ja-ne!~

-Akari~


	5. Chapter 5

Akari: Wheee~~~~

Akari's SC: Eh?

Akari: chocolate so yummy~~

Akari's SC: This can't be good…

Akari: NOW YOU SHALL SUFFER MEH WRATH!

Akari's SC: oh shit.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Reunion**

"Allen-kun holds all our secrets. Did you think we could just let him go free like that?~"

"No, Earl."

"Then what do you propose we do, Tyki-kun?~"

"Perhaps we should capture him?"

"Very well, Tyki-pon. I want him alive~"

"Yes, Earl."

Allen enjoyed his new life. Everyday, he would wake up to the smell of a large breakfast. Then he could hug his beloved Kanda-onii san and see him whenever he wanted to. He was happy; he didn't have to kill anymore, or deal with the Earl, because Kanda was safe. He worked with the police, after all. And everybody at the police station had taken a liking to the cute, boyish white-haired teen who smiled innocently and smelled like sweets. Then they would have a buffet lunch and go home to a buffet dinner.

And sometimes, just sometimes, if he behaved himself well enough, Kanda would buy him chocolate.

And Kanda still wondered how the hell a human could have a stomach the size of a black hole.

But neither of them took any notice to the evil lurking in the shadows.

"Ah…Tiedoll-san really makes yummy spaghetti!~ I'm so full~~" Allen plopped down on the soft bed, staring at the blue glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. They were a birthday present from Kanda not too long ago.

The white-haired boy closed his eyes and contentedly sighed again.

"I wonder if I'll get chocolate tomorrow…" Allen snuggled into the warm covers of his bed. The snow outside gave an ethereal look to his large window, and the moon looked pretty as well. Then he smelled something…sweet? "Is Tiedoll-san making dessert?" Allen jumped out of bed and reached for the door handle when he felt his legs collapse under him. "I'm feeling a bit tired….Kanda onii-san….."

Before the snowy-white haired head could hit the hard floor, a pair of white gloved-hands caught the slim body.

"Good-night to you too, _shounen_."

Kanda stomped down the stairs, glaring at everything and everybody, both living and dead. It was Monday; he hated Mondays; nobody seemed to be able to do anything right on Mondays. And he had to go back to work.

As he reached the large dining table, he ignored the heaps of scones and muffins and headed right for his bowl of soba. Tiedoll walked out of the kitchen, balancing two heaping plates of scrambled eggs and bacon when he caught sight of Kanda.

"Yu-chan!~ Good timing; can you go wake Allen up for me?" he called as he set the hot plates down in the middle of the table.

"Che."

The grumpy samurai turned around and headed back up the stairs. He stomped his way to Allen's room and banged on the door.

"Oi! Moyashi! Get your ass down here if you want breakfast!"

He turned away, expecting to hear the sound of hurried footsteps, a muffled voice, and the slam of a door. Instead, he heard nothing.

"Moyashii! You'd better get out here or we'll have breakfast without you!"

Nothing again.

"Moyashi? Allen?"

Something was wrong. Very wrong. Kanda slammed the door open to Allen's room only to find…

The window open. And his beloved missing. Just like that one night seven years ago.

"ALLEN!"

"He's so cute asleep~"

"Don't break him yet, Rhode. Be patient."

"But I wanna~~ I don't like you anymore, Tyki." A spiky-haired girl in a black Lolita dress pouted. "I'm gonna go tell the Earl about Allen then~" She grabbed a pink, pumpkin-tipped umbrella and skipped out of the room. "Bye bye, All-en, Ty-ki~"

Tyki smirked and turned back to the wall where his prisoner was kept. Allen had his hands and feet chained behind the metal chair, his pure white hair covering his pale, unmarked face. The Portuguese assassin chuckled to himself as the captive teen slowly opened his eyes.

"Where…am I…?"

"Hello there, _shounen_."

Allen's eyes immediately opened, the grey orbs filled with fear. "Tyki!" He jerked, and the chains around his ankles and wrists rattled. Desperate to free himself, Allen kept attempting to break the chains, but the chains wouldn't yield. After a few minutes of trying, he collapsed back into the chair.

"Let…me…go…please…"

Tyki continued to smirk. "No, we can't have you escaping now, can we?" He turned to leave. "Now to make my report to the Earl."

Allen spat on the ground in anger, glaring at the person walking out the door on the other side of the barren room.

"Don't worry, we aren't going to let you die either. Dinner's coming soon; you'd better eat. Later, boy."

As the door closed, Allen relaxed his glare and looked at the crescent moon through the barred window to his right.

"Kanda…"

* * *

Akari: and I think I'll stop here for now. I gots tons of exams to study for, so please read, and review…yeah it's that button (is it even a button anymore? o_o) down there below meh story. I'm sure it's not that hard. and sorry for the short chapter; the next one will be longer, i promise. =P

Akari's SC: -tied up in the corner- LEMME GO YOU BASTARD! DUN IGNORE ME! YOU KNOW I'M HERE! DAMMIT!

Akari: …okay, I know that our little Allen-chan here is supposed to have a happy life for forevers with his beloved Kanda-kun, but that's…gotta wait. yeah. okay, bai bai!~

-Akari~

**NOTE: **I seem to be missing what is left of this story. Therefore, I have forgotton where the hell this story was headed. Please dun kill me or else this story will remain on haitus for an indefinitely long amount of time, instead of an indefinitely short amount of time, while i figure out wut went where on this new comp. flames will be used to bake cookies. meanwhile, please humor yourselves with some of my other stories. thank you.

with love, Akari.


	6. Chapter 6

Akari: Go off to college, Dad deletes story. Wut.

Akari's SC: yeah. Shit happens. Kay.

Akari: I have no idea what I had planned…do you?

Akari's SC: nope!~ and on we go…..

Chapter 6: Hopelessness

Lavi slunk over to Tiedoll, who stood in the doorway to Allen's room. It's been two days, and time had not been a balm for Kanda. In fact, he seemed much more frustrated than he ever was before, as his joy of finding Allen again had been rather short-lived.

Why did Allen even have to get himself involved with the Underground? Kanda punched the soft bedsheets again. He smelled remnants of the chloroform that was used on Allen. He could see the sky through the window, now closed, curtains no longer billowing in the wind. He could still smell Allen on everything. Kanda was beyond angry. He had never been this close, yet this far.

"Hey…Tiedoll….I really, really think you should do something about Mr. Angry over there. The police force is…err…ansty?" Lavi poked Tiedoll in the arm.

Tiedoll sighed and slowly looked around the spacious room, his eyes landing on Kanda, a dark cloud of depression in the otherwise brightly-lit place. "Let us…leave him be for a while."

"If you say so~" Lavi turned and left, grabbing his jacket and heading down to the police station.

/-/

The sun illuminated a small patch of the cold prison ground. It looked so warm, so inviting…but it was still a few feet away from where Allen sat, chained to the wall. His stomach growled. The Noahs had provided him with food, but not enough to satiate his black hole of a stomach. They knew it, and Allen knew that they knew it too. His hair was matted and dirty, and what's left of his shirt was stained here and there with blood. Bruises dotted his face and neck. The last two days had not been good days.

"Kanda….." he sighed, thinking about the family he had left.

"Do you have feelings for your assigned target, _boy_?"

Allen glared up at him. "He's part of my _family_, Tyki. He's the one I want to protect. Why would I try to kill him?"

Tyki chuckled coldly, sending shivers through Allen. "And you call yourself an assassin? Ha, this is amusing. What can we ever offer you to carry on with your mission?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. The Earl promised me that this was all to protect Kanda. He…he should have known that the new police chief _was_ Kanda…." Allen frowned, doubt flitting across the face. The Earl had provided him the means to live…and a job…jobs to protect the ones he loved…

"Poor little Allen~" Tyki laughed "didn't you know? The Earl was using you all along. Kanda is a pain in the arse; if we leave him alone for too long, his search for you would undoubtedly lead him and the police force to our front door. If he's alive, the Earl would be in danger. You wouldn't want to compromise the safety of your boss, would you?"

Allen fell silent.

"He's not my boss. Not anymore." He muttered. Nothing really made sense except the last part. All the assassinations made sense….the police chiefs in the past, all corrupt, the thieves who would steal things from the Earl, random street gangs that have popped up in the area….

Had the Earl really been using him? Were the thieves really thieves?

Allen could feel himself sinking back into a whirlpool of emotions.

Something clanged on the floor in front of him. He looked up to see a tray, presumably filled with food.

"Enjoy, _boy_. I'll see you later." He heard footsteps, and then the closing of the heavy door and lock which guarded the entrance to his cell.

The silver-haired boy grimaced at the sound and tested his handcuffs as he had done many times before. He might have been an assassin, but the Noahs had known too. He couldn't break out of these handcuffs; not easily at least.

He wondered what the Earl was going to do to him if he continually refused to complete his job. Rhode would be in a sea of disappointment, perhaps, but if she were to be allowed to torture…

Stories of her victims have not been happy ones to listen to.

He leaned back against the cold, lifeless stone wall and closed his eyes. Then he looked back at the cold tray of food. Just a loaf of bread, some tasteless soup, and water. Allen swore he had lost weight in the last day or so. As much as he hated it, he had to eat, so he kicked the tray closer and proceeded to scarf down the food given to him. He had to live, if he were to fight and see Kanda again.

/-/

Forensics had swept Allen's room multiple times. The only evidence? None. No struggle, no DNA that did not belong to Allen, nothing. Kanda knew; it had to be the Noahs. After all, they made it well-known among the police force that they were the ones who ordered the police chiefs killed at their own whim. Crown Clown, who turned out to be Allen Walker, was their main vehicle for assassinations.

Allen Walker. The image of the sweet child he had met once upon a time in a playground popped into his mind. He was still sweet, and kind…but not innocent. Not anymore. He was still Allen, yes, but Kanda couldn't help but wonder how time had changed him.

"Well, you certainly haven't changed, Chief." The warming smell of green tea wafted up to Kanda, who looked over see Lenalee Lee, back from her usual coffee run. Yet another childhood acquaintance, largely in part to Komui, who kept his staff supplied with funds and their fair share of questionable equipment.

"I don't recall you being able to read minds, Lenalee." Kanda muttered as he carefully took the cup of hot tea and set in on his desk.

"I don't." Lenalee smiled. "I haven't seen you in a while and yet, here you are, scaring all your poor subordinates away from your office."

Kanda frowned.

"I have Allen's case. I'm…sorry, Kanda." Lenalee tucked the coffee tray under her arm and took a seat across from Kanda.

"I thought you were tracking down a drug cartel or something."

"Well, I finished that, so I got assigned Allen's case."

"The Noah are behind this. Don't do anything stupid, or you'll put my subordinates at danger. I can't have all the police in the city disappearing at the hands of the Noah."

"Considering that we are faced with the Noah, I believe that they would kill off every single police officer in this city. They're insane, and they want Kanda Yu dead." Lenalee sighed. "And they tried to get Allen to complete this mission…" she trailed off, and looked over at the closed blinds. "You can have a brilliant view of this city from here, Kanda. Why don't you open your windows?" she exclaimed cheerfully, in an attempt to brighten up the dreariness Allen's absence had caused.

"The sun's annoying." Kanda replied. He glared holes through the stacks of paper that had accumulated on the desk from his self-declared vacation away from the office.

"You'll get eyestrain. It's not healthy – for your eyes."

"I don't fucking care."

"I'll go back to work then, Kanda. I'll update you when I come across something, alright?"

Kanda didn't look up as he waved Lenalee out of the office. He looked up for a brief moment, only to see those working outside his office staring inside through the gap in the closing door, attempting to guess his anger level for the day. They quickly looked down and instantly busied themselves once they realized their police chief was indeed glaring in their direction.

The police offices had never been so productive before Kanda became in charge of the place.

The door soon closed with a quiet click, and a collective sigh of relief resounded throughout the office. At least, for today, they were spared from flying swords.

Kanda quickly read through the files which had been collecting dust on his desk. More petty thefts, some bar fights, and the discovery of a few pounds of various hallucinogens. _And then there's the Noahs, and Allen, _thought Kanda. He had to take down the Noah, for the sake of his job and Allen.

Tonight, he will visit the casino, for that was the last anybody saw or heard of Allen, anyways. The usually stoic police chief smiled inwardly. His annual budget had been well-spent on a citywide security camera campaign.

/-/

The iron doors opened again. This time, Rhode skipped in, swinging around a backpack decorated with pumpkins. Upon arrival, she immediately tossed the bag to a far corner and pounced upon the silver-haired boy in the cell. "Allen!~" she cried, nuzzling into Allen's shoulder. "I've missed you~" she sang as she squeezed him around the waist in a hug. "Have you been enjoying your stay, dear Allen? Did you like the food? Are you _bored_?"

There was something in that last word which sent shivers down Allen's spine. A seemingly harmless question, but when it came to Rhode, nothing was harmless.

"Hey, Allen, are you listening? Allleeennnnn…" The girl with the spiky hair waved her small hands in front of his listless eyes. She looked at him. "Of course you're bored. You haven't had much to do here, huh? Well, I'm bored too." She huffed, but instantly brightened up. "But you know? The Earl was kind enough to lend you to me for a day. So, Allen – want to _play_?"

_Maybe I can reason with her…_thought Allen. "Play, Rhode? We can play tag, or hide-and-go-seek…" _I'm going to escape. I have to."_

"Hmmm….the Earl will get angry if I just let you go. I can't do that. But I brought some toys; you might like them too!" she exclaimed.

"Please not your toys, Rhode," pleaded Allen. "I can play other games, games that don't involve your toys." Allen inwardly winced at the thought of Rhode's "toys".

"How about…we play a round of hide-and-seek? And if you find me, we'll play with your toys. If I manage to hide for long enough, then I get…more food?" Allen offered, looking off to the side. _I can use this opportunity to plan an escape…_

Rhode reluctantly nodded. She pulled out a set of keys from her pocket and began to unlock Allen from his metal prison. She noticed the grey eyes of the boy hungrily follow the keys. "Don't even think about stealing from me, Allen. I don't want to accidentally kill you" she sighed. One by one, the metal cuffs clanged against the metal wall, no longer holding anything.

Allen gingerly touched the red marks left behind on his wrists before he slowly got up to stand on his feet. He staggered a bit, but quickly regained his balance as his muscles remembered how to stand. "Okay. I'm ready."

"You've never seen the outside of your cell…hmm…" Rhode thought for a bit, eyes closed. "I'll be generous. Five minutes to hide. An hour for me to find you." Rhode thought about this for a while, then smiled sweetly. "'Kay~ I'll start counting down." She pulled out a cellphone and set the timer. She heard uneven footsteps stagger in the general direction of the exit to the cell, and the door closing. No worries; he couldn't lock the door. The footsteps, now muffled by the closed door, slowly faded till she could hear them no longer.

Four minutes and thirty seconds left.

"_Let's play, Allen._"

/-/

Stairs. A corner, and another. More prison cells. Allen began mentally mapping the route he was taking as he clumsily stumbled around. There were no stairs going up, so he guessed he was in the attic. Three flights of stairs later, he found windows, but they were all bolted shut. He didn't have enough time to unlock them. He kept running, trying to open every door he could. The majority seemed to be composed of bedrooms, and studies, and a few bathrooms here and there.

The skinny teen stumbled down another hallway lined with portraits and paintings, and opened a final door before tripping over his feet and ungracefully landing on his face. The energy seemed to be sapped from his whole body, as he probably didn't have much to start with anyways.

_A library. _Allen hadn't been in one for so long. After all, he gave up his schooling to learn the art of killing. He staggered to his feet and quietly closed the door behind him. Allen continued to stumble past rows and rows of bookshelves, each fully filled with old, antique-looking books.

_One minute left._

The skinny teen slid between two rows of thick, heavy bookcases, then began to climb up until he reached the top. He took extra care not to disturb the books themselves. Once on the top, Allen coughed a bit due to the dustiness then lithely leaped down a few rows, using his agility to his advantage. He found a cluster of bookcases hidden in the shadows of the corner of the room and lay down flat on top. From experience, he knew that people can't see the top of these bookcases from the ground, especially when they're this high. From the amount of dust, he realized that nobody really came in here often…and hoped it would stay that way, at least for another hour. He adjusted himself, closed his eyes, and listened, breathing slowly, quietly.

His keen ears picked up the distant sound of footsteps, and playful humming. _That must be Rhode_, he thought, _my five minutes must be up._

He made small adjustments to his position, and tilted his head slightly towards the direction of the library door. He could smell the musty books, and everything felt rather peaceful, just lying there…but the reality of the situation he was in seemed to shatter the peacefulness of the moment. He could hear the footsteps pausing in each doorway, all the while gradually growing closer.

Ten minutes.

Twenty minutes.

He could have sworn he heard the footsteps pass by the library door, but he couldn't let his guard down. He gently blew another wisp of silvery hair out of his face. _If Rhode never finds me, it could be my chance to escape…_

Thirty minutes. Allen allowed himself a little smile.

Forty minutes. The boy flexed his fingers and toes, trying to keep his muscles from falling asleep. It had been far too long since he had done a job; he felt rusty. Normally, he could hide comfortably for longer periods of time.

Fifty minutes. Rhode was now calling Allen's name. As if he would answer. Allen blinked a few times, and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about how he was going to get out…

_Perhaps a window will do the trick. I've escaped through windows before….I can certainly do it again…_

Just then, he heard a creaking sound. Quiet, but definitely something creaking. And the footsteps were no longer muffled.

"Allen~ Are you in here?~" a girl's singsong voice rang out, the same voice that had been traveling throughout the mansion. But this time, the footsteps were not muffled, and the voice was no longer distant. Rhode had reached the library. Would fate really not grant him even a moment of rest?

"Allen~~~ Oh, Allen~~~" Rhode continued to call. The white-haired teen could hear her going up and down the rows of bookshelves. The sound of footsteps came ever closer. Allen closed his eyes and tried to erase his presence, as he had done so many times during his jobs.

Fifty-five minutes…

_Calm…_he told himself, relaxing his body, blending into the shadows. _Just pass by me, Rhode. Just…walk away…please…._

The footsteps, along with the carefree sound of Rhode's voice, passed him, took a few more steps and stopped.

"Ne, Allen….did I ever tell you how wonderfully amazing I am at hide-and-seek? Did I? No? Hmm…well then…"

Allen opened his eyes. Why was Rhode talking as if she had already found him?

"Found ya, Allen~"

_Thud_

Allen felt the bookcase shake, lost his balance for a bit, but quickly recovered and lithely jumped onto the next bookcase to avoid falling. _Rhode!_

Rhode stood at the bottom of the fallen bookcase, grinning up at Allen.

"I found you." She repeated, voice melodious no longer. "Y'know, I almost ran out of time, but I had fun! Unlike the others, it took quite a while to find you, really."

Allen just looked down at Rhode, still perched ontop of the bookcase.

"Why won't you come down, dear Allen?" the girl pouted, holding out her arms. "We can make this romantic, see? Like, you can jump down into my arms and I'll catch you, and we can hug and play some more!" She smiled rather innocently.

"I don't think we have the same thing in mind when you say 'play', Rhode." Allen responded, eyes narrowing.

"Aww, Allen, why don't you trust me?"

"Should I trust the people who tell me to kill the one I love most?"

"Allen, I'm warning you…don't make me angry. I like you, I really do." She continued to hold out her arms. "Remember," she continued, "_You can't run away from me._" Rhode's tone seemed to turn icy cold, sending shivers down Allen's spine. He clenched his fist. She was right; until he either has a better grasp of the mansion, or until he manages to earn back the trust of the Noah…he wasn't going to be able to escape easily.

He sighed in defeat.

"Fine, Rhode, treat me nicely, okay?"

"Of course, Allen!~" she squealed with delight, smiling widely as he lept from the top of the bookshelf and landed lightly in front of her. Rhode jumped forward and hugged him tightly, as she would to a precious toy she never wanted to let go.

For Allen Walker is indeed a precious, precious toy. _Her_ beautifully precious, fragile toy.

* * *

Akari: Annddddd...updated!~

Akari's SC: YEAH. TAKE THAT, PROCRASTINATION. AND LEAGUE.

Akari: Now back to League... *yawns*

Akari's SC: NO. GET BACK HERE. SIT. WRITEEEEE *drags Akari away*

Akari: Save meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Akari's SC: _Shhhhhh_ You see nothing... Please Review and/or Favorite!~ Flames will be used to bake deliciously wonderful cookies 3

Till next time,

Bai~


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